The Baltimore Ravens played their most complete game of the season in Week 4, thrashing the Buffalo Bills, 35-10.
It was a game in which nearly everything came together for Baltimore: the offensive line was strong upfront, the Ravens pounded the Bills on the ground, and the defense flew around the field, suffocating Josh Allen and Co.
Now, coming off a win that saw them get back to .500, the Ravens will be looking to seize a winning record with another matchup against an AFC rival: the Cincinnati Bengals.
It's the Ravens' first AFC North rivalry game of the season, and a semi-pivotal one for both teams. The Ravens, as mentioned, want to climb above .500. The Bengals are 1-3, coming off their first win of the season. A win very much keeps their playoff hopes alive, but falling to 1-4 may just doom their season.
To get a better feel for how this game may play out, we consulted several NFL experts for their picks and predictions for Week 5.
NFL picks, predictions Week 5: Ravens vs. Bengals
Bill Bender, Sporting News: Bengals 31, Ravens 28
"Joe Burrow got back on track last week, and he's one of five NFL quarterbacks with a completion percentage of 70 percent or better this season. That will pay off with receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. This could turn into a shootout real quick. If that happens, the Bengals will have a chance to snag their first home victory."
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Bengals 27, Ravens 24
"Joe Burrow got Cincinnati off the mat last week, and with his full cadre of receivers, he can find some good matchups to exploit in the passing game. The division race is meant to be long with emotional twists and turns, and this is the first one."
Nate McMillan, Sports Illustrated: Ravens
"The Ravens offense is firing on all cylinders. They lead the NFL in yards per play, averaging 6.8 yards per snap, 0.4 more yards than the next best team. The Ravens have also covered the spread against the Bengals in four of the last five meetings between these two teams."
John Breech, CBS Sports: Bengals
"Through four weeks, the Ravens have given up an average of 257.5 yards per game through the air, which is the third most in the NFL, and now, they'll be going up against a Bengals offense that ranks in the top six in passing yards ... The Bengals are going to be desperate and they're going to be at home where Burrow is 3-1 against the Ravens since the start of the 2021 season (Including the playoffs)."
ESPN Football Power Index: Ravens
ESPN's FPI gives the Ravens a 55.8% chance to win the game.
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